Rock 'n' Read 2018: The Details!
Get out and enjoy one last hurrah of Spring Break/SXSW 2018 on Saturday, March 17! Rock + Read at The Domain is a live music and book fest where both kids and adults will enjoy a great lineup of musicians as well as local children's book authors, who will be reading from their books in between music sets. There will also be hands-on activities for kids of all ages, books signings, giveaways and more at this FREE event!
Thanks to our sponsors, The Domain, Springfree Trampoline, and Fetch MD for making this event possible.
There's this story, based on a survey of folks involved in kid literature. I don't know what the results of a similar survey would be if done in family music, but I'm under no illusions: There's no reason to think we're immune from it.
So here are some basic policies for any event I'm presenting on my own. They apply to presenters, attendees, sponsors, producers, crew, and me. And anyone else. I intend to include them in advance emails to performers and won't book acts that won't go along with them, and won't put on events at venues that aren't cool with them. My aim, and the aim of folks with whom I work, is to create fun, safe, silly events that are actively inclusive. These guidelines are consistent with what I've observed doing this for over a dozen years and are intended to be there to (a) hopefully avoid any future problems and (b) deal with the very rare problem case.
This is a first draft and if there are improvements suggested, I'll consider and adopt them. The structure is borrowed, with permission, from the JoCo Cruise Code of Conduct.
Be kind. Treat others with kindness and respect. Be inclusive and friendly, like we try to get our kids to be. This underlies everything else.
Be nice to our staff and volunteers. Number 1 up there applies to everyone working the event, too.
Follow the law and follow the rules. Duh. And if I become aware of any conduct that might meet the definition of a hate crime, you better believe I'm reporting it.
If an attendee is aware of any conduct that violates these policies, there will be identified people to whom they can make a report. To be clear: if you see something problematic, tell someone; that's your responsibility as a person engaging in society if you can do so safely.
The policies, and those contacts (who will when feasible include at least one person independent from the event) will be posted at events. You have my personal commitment that harassment won't be tolerated and we'll deal with problems promptly. Because I'm involved in a range of events with different partners and contexts, I can't make a general statement here about precisely what the process will be in all situations, but I do mean "deal with" appropriately and thoroughly. If I learn of misconduct at an event I'm part of, I will share that knowledge to try to prevent future harm.
For events/conferences I'm attending as a presenter or otherwise (as opposed to presenting), or events I'm helping produce without being a primary presenter, I'm borrowing ideas from John Scalzi's policies: You need to have a harassment policy. It needs to be clear and it needs to have an enforcement mechanism. It doesn't have to be the same as this one above, but it needs to be similarly broad in coverage and scope.
Again, I'm not basing this on any specific knowledge of specific misconduct at any family music event I've attended. But the older I get, the more I realize I have an obligation to do what I can to make sure everyone feels comfortable and welcome and safe at events I put together.
Like I said, this is a draft. I think it's a pretty good one, but I'd love to know how it can be improved. You can comment below or email me (show at sparetherock dot com).


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dealing with shaw technical support people is truly pathetic. they do not know anything about the problems i call about, one person even laughed at me. most of the time you cannot reach anyone by phone or chat. they should sell to rogers and bell and get out of the tv and internet business. it is clear they do not give a damn about customers. they have cut back on staff so their shareholders can make even more money off of us customers.
You seem to be having a lot of issues with your service, just curious, have you talked with any of your neighbours that have Shaw to see if they are having similar problems?
>dealing with shaw technical support people is truly pathetic. they do not know anything about the problems i call about, one person even laughed at me. most of the time you cannot reach anyone by phone or chat. they should sell to rogers and bell and get out of the tv and internet business. it is clear they do not give a damn about customers. they have cut back on staff so their shareholders can make even more money off of us customers.
Not to take away away from your experiences, I have found the contrary. From the moderators on this forum to the telephone and chat techs, store representatives, onsite techs, they are all very knowledgeable and helpful. As recently as last week I contacted the phone support. The support representatvie was great, very informative answered my questions and at no time rushed me to get off the phone.
I do agree that at some times wait times are getting longer but the call back feature is helpful. On one occasion I did have a substandard install of equipment in my garage. A loose fitting jack and wall plate. I corrected the problem, contacted Shaw management and was compensated for my time and money for a propertly properly installed mud ring and cable jack. The manager assured me he would talk with the technician about some education.
I have spent countless hours dealing with all aspects of issues, done many upgrades over many many years with Shaw support, including time on this forum. I have always been happy with the serivce.
To be clear, I didn't write the original post.


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January 29, 2022 | ePaper | SignIn
PM recognises India's youngest martyr after 8 decades
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Assam CM Sarabananda Sonowal before launch the Assam Mala Project for the upgradation of State highways and lay the foundation stones of two medical colleges of Biswanath and Charaideoat Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur District of Assam on Feb 7,2021 . (Photo: IANS)
By Sujit Chakraborty
Guwahati, Feb 7 (IANS) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Dhekiajuli town, about 150 kms northwest of Guwahati, to unveil a slew of development projects in Assam on Sunday, he also paid tributes to as many as 15 martyrs of India's freedom movement, whose stories of supreme sacrifice have remained unrecognised and unheard of in the rest of the country for nearly eight decades.
These stories include that of Tileswari Barua, a 12-year-old girl from a remote village, who, on being moved by the patriotic songs that had moved thousands of rural folk in Assam, went ahead and took a bullet from the colonial police and died for the country.
Dhekiajuli in fact was the worst scene of police brutality during the Quit India phase of the freedom movement in 1942. As several hundred 'Satyagrahis' (protesters) had converged at the local police station to raise the tricolour following Gandhiji's "Karenge ya Marenge" (do or die) call, the police opened indiscriminate fire on them, killing at least 15 persons, including 12-year-old Tileswari, as she became the youngest martyr of the freedom movement.
Equally heart-rending are the stories of sacrifice by Manbar Nath, Kumoli Devi, Mahiram Koch, Ratan Kachari, Sorunath Chutia, Maniram Kachari, Dayal Panika, Lerela Kachari, Khahuli Devi, Mangal Kurku, and two nameless persons, one of whom was a beggar, and the other a 'sanyasi' (monk).
The Prime Minister in his speech said: "Today is a special day for me. Today I got the opportunity to pay respect to this historic land of Dhekiajuli. In this land, people defeated the aggressors. In 1942, people here were martyred to protect the nation and to respect the tricolour. Every drop of the martyrs' blood makes our resolve stronger, thus this rich history makes me take pride in Assam."
While the story of Dhekiajuli has so long remained confined only to the state of Assam with insignificant and insufficient references in one or two books, it was only a few weeks ago that the saga of Dhekiajuli has come out in detail in a book called 'Dhekiajuli 1942: The Untold Story'. Written by Samudra Gupta Kashyap, a veteran Guwahati-based researcher, writer and journalist and presently a State Information Commissioner of Assam, the book for the first time takes this hitherto forgotten story to the outside world.
While the book was released by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal recently, the Dhekiajuli police station where the worst incident of firing during the Quit India movement took place, was also declared a heritage structure by the Assam government.
The Dhekiajuli incident, claims Kashyap, was the worst incident of police brutality during the Quit India movement. "In no other place in the subcontinent had so many people attained martyrdom during 1942 as had happened in Dhekiajuli on that fateful day. While names of 14 martyrs, including four women, have been confirmed by local chroniclers, there are at least six more names of persons who had died in the subsequent weeks after having sustained grievous injuries because of police firing, lathi-charge and attack by the hired miscreants," the author told IANS.
The only daughter of Bhabakanta Barua, a marginal farmer of village Nij Bargaon under Dhekiajuli police station, Tileswari Baruah was so much influenced by the patriotic songs composed by Jyotiprasad Agarwala which the 'satyagrahis' sang, that she voluntarily joined the procession that local Congress leaders had organised to hoist the tricolor atop the local police station on September 20, 1942. She had already learnt many of those patriotic songs by heart, and would often sing them with her friends.
"Carrying a small flag in her hand, Tileswari was in the crowd which had entered the Dhekiajuli police station compound immediately after Commander Kamalakanta Das had signalled by blowing a whistle. She saw Manbar Nath, Golok Neog and Chandrakanta Nath trying to hoist the flag amid the police firing. And even as she began to shout 'Vande Mataram', she saw from very close quarters Mahiram Koch falling to a bullet. This sight suddenly turned the little girl into a ferocious tigress and she began to rush forward showing 'Vande Mataram'. A couple of steps forward, and she was thrown off balance by a bullet," Kashyap said, picking up descriptions as documented by local historians.
Two 'Mrityu Vahini' volunteers immediately lifted the profusely bleeding Tileswari, carried her out of the police station and placed her on the verandah of a shop across the road. While some volunteers tried to give her some first aid, her maternal uncle Nandiram Bhuyan, on spotting her, picked her up on his back and began to run, only to reach a barricade on a bridge on the main road, where miscreants armed with sticks, allegedly hired by the police, began to attack them.
An injured Tileswari fell on the road, and Bhuyan managed to crawl away from the midst of the miscreants to take shelter behind some bushes in the nearby field. But even as he waited for an opportune moment to rescue his niece, Bhuyan after a couple of hours saw a police truck picking up Tileswari from the road after chasing away the miscreants.
"Whether Tileswari died on the road itself or elsewhere could not be ascertained because the police never returned her, alive or dead. Though yet to be officially recognised by the government, 12-year old Tileswari Barua is undoubtedly the youngest martyr of India's freedom movement," Kashyap has claimed.
"One of the several significant aspects of the Dhekiajuli incident is the huge participation of poor peasants, women and members of the tea tribe communities. Look at the names of the martyrs – Manbar Nath, Kumoli Devi, Mahiram Koch, Ratan Kachari, Sarunath Chutia, Maniram Kachari, Tileswari Barua, Lerela Kachari, Dayal Panika, Khahuli Devi, Mangal Kurku, Padumi Gogoi," Kashyap has mentioned in the book. Dhekiajuli is also one incident in which a 'sanyasi' and a beggar had also lost their lives in police firing.
"The two may not have been part of the processions taken out by the satyagrahis. But then they were fired upon by policemen who chased the satyagrahis across the main road. There is no other instance in India where a sanyasi and a beggar had attained martyrdom during the freedom movement," the author has said.
"But then, historians, researchers and chroniclers of the freedom movement have grossly neglected the Dhekiajuli incident in particular, and the role of Assam in India's freedom struggle. This book is a small attempt to take one of the several significant episodes of the freedom movement in Assam to the outside world," said Dhekiajuli MLA Ashok Singhal, for whom it is a big day as the Prime Minister is visiting his hometown.
"The Prime Minister's visit will definitely make the people of India aware about the sacrifices made by the people of this area during the freedom movement," said local social worker Ramesh Chandra Bora.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
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For as long as I remember, this Fudge Icing has been a special part of my Grandmother Verdie's recipe collection.
She'd make it each year to top my sister's Chocolate Pound Cake Grandmother would make her for her birthday.
While the Chocolate Pound Cake was just delicious on its own, it didn't hold a candle to when it was topped with her fudge icing.
Maybe that's why I have this obsession with chocolate.
I will tell you though, this fudge icing is thick and rich – and heavenly! I make it while the chocolate pound cake is cooling and then begin pouring the fudge icing over the top once it is ready. By the end, I do end up having to just spoon bits of the fudge icing onto the cake it gets so thick.
But oh my word! Just look at that piece of perfection up there!
Be sure to make this cake WITH the fudge icing soon. It is perfect for celebrations, reunions, picnics, taking on camping trips and just about anything else you can imagine.
Oh yeah – and it works like a charm for those instances when one child is jealous of another's birthday party.
Mix sugar, cocoa powder, and milk together in a large saucepan.
Cook over medium-high heat until large bubbles form and reaches a hard boil. Boil one minute at a hard boil. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Beat with a wooden spoon until thick and smooth.
Pour over cake. It will harden as it cools.
This icing hardens quickly. I prefer to use it as a poured icing as photographed or poured onto a sheet cake. I would not recommend using it as a spreadable frosting on a layered cake.
Practically just about anything you would use a ganache on, you can now use this fudge icing recipe. You won't be sorry!
I'm so glad you enjoy it! I'm so sorry, but it may certainly be the humidity and the heat, Alfie. Hopefully you'll have a cool part of the day soon to make it a little easier to pour it and let it cool & set/harden. Thanks!
Im stirring and stirring, and all i have is chocolate soup.
This icing is one that is poured onto your cake. It should get thick and smooth (like mentioned in the recipe) and it should harden after it's poured onto the cake. This icing is a different consistency than many other frostings. Hope this helps – Thanks!
It's just the most amazing icing EVER!
What exactly is a "hard boil"? When I look it up on Google just gives me hard boiled eggs lol. I candy thermometer has "hard crack" around the 300 degree mark. Is that the same thing?
We love this icing. It's the closest thing to fudge in an icing that I've ever tasted. There is a little problem with who gets to scrape the pot when finished. I have yet to run out of icing when using it on a layer cake. Thanks. Great recipe.
Haha, I remember my sister and I scraping the pot after my grandmother made this icing when we were growing up! That is some kind of delicious! Thanks so much for leaving this kind comment – I'm thrilled that you enjoyed this, C.J.!
I've made this icing many times. All my family and friends love it. I've never had a problem with consistency. I pour the frosting over the cake when it's warm. I've used it on moist, cake sheets, bundt cakes and cupcakes.
Made this icing for your best chocolate cake. It is delish and tastes just like fudge. It came out perfect, I was a little doubtful when I took it off after 1 minute of heavy boiling, but the more you stir it the thicker it becomes. It did take several minutes for mine to get thick, so just keep stirring if yours isn't getting thick enough. For those of you with a candy thermometer boil until soft ball.
I have made this icing numerous times because flavor is great. However this is not a simple icing. Sometimes it works; sometimes it don't ;). I have made it across many states. To get mine to a consistency that I find correct, I have to boil mine for much longer to harden the icing ( about 8 minutes). This makes it the consistency of fudge covering the cake. If I boil it for only one minute as described in the directions, the consistency is hot fudge sauce. If I boil it for 12 minutes, it makes an amazing "cracked fudge" that I use in a layer cake. I have tried this icing with dutch process cocoa and the icing never ever works out.
I'm happy to hear that you enjoy the taste – it's one of our favorites from my Grandmother. This should actually be one of the very simplest icings. This is supposed to be a poured icing as I describe in my blog post. I recommend pouring it on the cake as in the pictures I show of the Chocolate Pound Cake. The icing will harden after it sits.
There's no need to refrigerate, Deidre. This icing hardens after it's poured onto your cake, as you'll be able to see in my photos in this blog post. Enjoy! Thanks!
This stuff is great!!! Pour it over ice cream. Yummy! But, be ready to serve, it melts the ice cream fast. Hot fudge sauce and its so much better than that jar kind. Boil it 6 minutes and you have fudge candy. But, you have to work quickly or it wont pour out of the pan. Love it!!!
I'm so glad you like it Rachelle! I must say I've not tried this icing over ice cream – sounds decadent!!!
You are correct, this poured icing firms up fast, so it is one that you have to move quickly to pour over your cakes or brownies, etc.
I always loved "sampling" the pan for that bit of extra icing after pouring over the cake. It's so delicious!
I have been searching for this recipe for AGES!!! My cousin made this when I was a child and she taught me how to make it, over the phone, but that was 40 years ago!! 😀 She's passed on and I've struggled to find it. I know WHY I found it this time. This is a very special finish to a very special birthday cake I bake. Thank you SO VERY MUCH for sharing!!! 🙂 May you be doubly blessed!!!
Has anyone tried this on brownies? I love gooey brownies with a good fudge icing.
I plan to make this today and I'm a little worried about the consistency. I've made it before using my grandmother's recipe, however she only estimated the amounts of the ingredients. She made it so many times that she didn't need to measure. Anyway, it's raining and humid in Villa Rica, Ga.. today! Will I need to boil longer than 1 minute? I have failed several times when making this in the past that I'm hesitant to try again. Sometimes it's too hard and sometimes it's sticky and doesn't set. I know that once you start pouring it on the cake, there's no turning back.
It always turns out fine when I make it according to this recipe.
My grandmother made this a lot too! So delicious!
I hope you enjoy making – and eating – this icing. Thanks so much!
Could I use this fudge icing in between layers and the chocolate buttercream as an outer layer for the chocolate cake?
Fantastic fudge icing – I use it to make chocolate fudge cake which my kids (18 and 23) love.
This is the best recipe for chocolate icing/fudge that I have used for a very long time. I made coconut macaroon bars which were a little gooey when I put them in the pan. A couple days later I put a layer of this fudge on top. It was great.
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, C! It's always been a favorite of mine too! Thanks!
Can you freeze a cake after icing it.
Make sure to wrap well with freezer wrap and place in airtight container before freezing. Then thaw completely in the fridge before serving. Enjoy!
Can this be made with 1% milk?
Your recipes are fantastic. You should open a cooking school and give lessons to newly weds. Didn't know a thing about cooking when I got married (many yrs. ago) , it was a struggle. Have to get bananas and make your banana pudding with the meringue. Thanks for an enjoyable site.


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About the USEA
The USEA is a non-profit 501 C (3), educational organization committed to providing eventing enthusiasts with a competitive level suited to their individual skills. By assisting and educating competitors, event organizers and officials; maintaining responsible safety standards; and registering qualified competitions and clinics, the USEA offers a strong and continuous training opportunity for an ever-expanding field of world-class competitors. Just as importantly, the USEA provides a means for all riders, regardless of age or ability, to experience the thrill of eventing.
The USEA (formerly USCTA) was founded in September 1959, through the vision of Alexander Mackay-Smith, who felt that in addition to the AHSA and USET, a third organization was needed to promote the fledgling sport of combined training in the United States. Initially, the association's roster included just two dozen names, including Mackay-Smith and other notables such as Jack Fritz, Philip Hoffman, Roger Maher, and Lana Wright (née DuPont). On December 1, 2001 the USCTA became the USEA when the Board of Governors decided to follow the FEI's adoption of the term 'eventing' for the international sport previously known as combined training.
The mission of the USEA is much the same as that of the USCTA in 1959: to advance the sport of eventing through education of riders, trainers, officials and organizers, with the health and well-being of the horse of paramount importance. The association, through the direction of the Board of Governors, will continue to strive to make the sport of eventing safe, fun, fair and affordable to all who join our ranks.
The USEA recognizes more than 250 events throughout the U.S. that host nearly 42,000 entries per year. The USEA has more than 12,500 members and strives to provide riders from Beginner Novice to the four-star level with an exceptional eventing experience.
The organization is run by a Board of Governors of around twenty individuals, various committees, and a permanent staff of around fifteen, who fulfill the daily needs of the organization from the headquarters in Leesburg, Virginia.
The USEA will be an indispensable resource for members regarding education, safety, horse welfare, certification, training and information.
The USEA will be a leader in making eventing competition user-friendly, enjoyable, efficient, simple and affordable.
The USEA will be promote the sport of eventing as a recognized spectator sport.
The USEA will be financially secure and stable in order to achieve its strategic direction.
Education, Horse Welfare, Partnership
The Thrill, Ethical Behavior, Integrity
Safety, Service, Accountability
Sense of Urgency
State Nonprofit Disclosures
The Founding of the USEA (Formerly USCTA)
USEA Hall of Fame
Adult and Young Rider Contractor Agreement (R2012)
Area Financial Guidelines (R2015)
Area Fundraising Guidelines (R2015)
Budget Exception Request (R2015)
Corporate Travel Policy (R2015)
Expense Reimbursement Form (R2015)
Guidelines for Exception Form (R2015)
If You Like To Ride . . . Why Not Make An Event Of It! (R2017)
Policy for USEA Scholarships (R2014)
USEA By-Laws (R2016)
USEA Conflict of Interest Policy (R2015)
USEA Document Retention Policy and Form (R2015)
USEA Donation and Sponsorship Policy (R2015)
USEA Statement of Principles (R2007)
USEA Whistleblower Policy (R2015)


Envision Yountville is an 18-month land use planning process to help us define our values and plan for our future needs.
The home of Envision Yountville is www.envisionyountville.com, which contains all of the information you might want. The site includes all the details on the exciting upcoming speaker series. We hope residents and business leaders turns up to learn more about the key issues facing Yountville and that we all share our vision and ideas. Topics will include Community Character, Agricultural Preservation, Mobility, Local Business Balance and more.
The site also includes databases of news, a calendar of upcoming events, a project library, and contact information for all of the key personnel tied to the project.
Check out the Envision Yountville Workbook for the General Plan. This workbook provides a comprehensive look into the current conditions of the Town of Yountville, as well as trends of what the Town may see in the future.


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Home > Small Changes > Family
Source: Alex Smith
Nature Preschools Offer Kids An Education Classrooms Can't
By Nicole Caldwell
May. 31 2019, Updated 11:02 a.m. ET
Children today spend just half the time outside that their parents' generation did. The consequences of our nature-deficit disorder are still largely anecdotal, but obvious: shorter attention spans. Diminished cognition. Lowered creative-thinking skills. Childhood obesity.
Meanwhile, some experts have come forward with a shocking new stat: that kids ought to be outside, on average, between three and six hours a day. That's almost exactly what they're spending on their computer screens; but more than six times the amount of outdoor hours the average child gets these days.
One way for our screen-addicted culture to hit these numbers? Nature preschools, where childhood education is centered around time spent in the great outdoors (one survey found that, on average across all nature preschool programs, students spent three-quarters of the school day outside). This style of classroom is gaining traction—from suburbs to cities—and fast. There are now more than 250 nature preschools and kindergartens serving around 10,000 US children every year—a 66-percent increase over the year prior.
Source: Jessica Lewis
Living apart from nature is taking a toll on children.
We know animals thrive best in their natural, outdoor environments. But when it comes to our own animalness, this fact is often overlooked. You've seen what happens to animals stuck in a cage in a zoo: the pacing, the outbursts, the stress and anxiety. In a way, we do that to ourselves by staring at our phones or being stuck behind a desk instead of running around in the woods or feeling the sunshine on our skin. And we've designed a cultural, educational structure that overlooks the fundamental connection between the setting we're in and our brain's ability to function properly for learning.
No one suffers the damaging effect of this more than our children; who are being robbed of what the Washington Post refers to as a "free-range childhood, where kids spend hours outside playing in local parks, building forts, fording streams and climbing trees." Those experiences—which incidentally affect our development, ability to work with others, creativity, you name it—have been traded for solitary time in front of video games, computer screens,TV, and even after-school clubs or sports (which may be outside, but are highly structured).
But a growing mountain of research is showing the massive extent nature can play in improving early childhood development and education. Which is exactly why the work of people like Emilian Geczi, Ph.D., is so important.
A post shared by Free Forest School (@freeforestschool)
Children deserve a natural start.
Geczi is the director of the Natural Start Alliance, a project developed by the North American Association for Environmental Education. The alliance is comprised of educators, organizations, parents and others working to connect young children with the natural world. "We're encouraging people to look at a more nature-based approach to education," Geczi said. "We are essentially a sort of cheerleader for the field. The Natural Start Alliance was created to support those educators and researchers and advocates for nature-based, early childhood education. So we are trying to support the professionals in the growing field, drive excellence in programming, and bring more programs to more schools around the country."
Natural Start works directly with parents and educators, equipping them to design educational experiences that get kids outside, encourage interactions with nature, instill a sense of exploration and wonder, and impart skills that down the road will connect individuals to their communities.
"The way we look at it is, there is a lot of value to an education that takes place in nature," Geczi said. "The children learn from and with nature. The value of this kind of an education to kids is cognitive development, social, emotional and spiritual development—being connected to the world around them and the changing seasons and the changing environments in a way that being a classroom is sort of harder to do. So there are also some unique benefits to it."
To accomplish this, Natural Start aggregates extensive research into the integral role of nature and "direct experiences with the environment" in early childhood development and education. The project uses these findings to educate new, effective ways to carry out education programs. From there, Natural Start provides support to people connecting kids with the outdoors while advocating for high-quality, nature-based outdoor education for children.
A post shared by Kids in Nature (@kidsinnature)
Once seen as a distraction, the outdoors is now recognized as essential to well-developed brains.
"There is a lack of understanding of how the brain works and what is good for development," said Cathy Jordan, PhD, LP, consulting research director at Children & Nature Network and associate professor of Pediatrics and Extension at the University of Minnesota. "Recall there was a period of time when school buildings were designed to limit views to the outdoors, believing that students would be distracted and unable to pay attention to what was happening at the front of the classroom. We now know that natural views from classroom windows improve attention and reduce stress. Education—from school design to pedagogical practices—has a ways to go to implement what we know from research. We are also not preparing teachers to teach using nature. Teacher prep and professional development programs will need to change."
Moving toward a more holistic approach to education isn't going to be easy in the era of No Child Left Behind, which favors tests over allowing students the space to ask questions.
"No Child Left Behind fundamentally changed how we think about education, what outcomes we value in education, and what activities we value or accept in educational practice," Jordan said. "With the focus on test scores and the belief that in-the-seat direct instruction is how you improve test scores (not an accurate belief), many activities—from recess to field trips, to art and music—were reduced or cut. The second, I think, related trend is what David Sobel calls the 'academification' of early childhood. Academic content is being pushed into lower and lower grades and the behavioral expectations of elementary students are also being pushed onto younger children: to be able to sit and listen, take in instruction, etcetera. Play of all sorts, including nature play, has sometimes taken a back seat to the focus on school-readiness skill development.
"But this is misguided; as elementary teachers will tell you that they value the nonacademic skills related to self-regulation, social skills, and problem solving more than early literacy and numeracy skills in terms of being ready to function in school. This is about two things: not understanding practices and environments that will actually result in test score improvement; and an obsession with test scores as the educational outcome of value."
And parents are starting to take notice.
"I think in some ways, many parents are enrolling kids in nature preschools because they feel that the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of standardized testing," Geczi said. "And they know that nature provides so many opportunities for open-ended play, creative play, collaborative play. More parents and more educators are understanding that."
A post shared by Loft Preschool, Oxford Oh (@loftpreschool)
Getting kids outside to learn has instant ramifications.
"We don't have a lot of research on the contribution of lack of nature exposure on the development of emotional/behavioral issues in children, but we do know that children with such issues can benefit from nature contact, nature play and nature-based education," Jordan said. "For example, collaborators at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (Ming Kuo, Andrea Faber Taylor and Bill Sullivan) have done a number of studies that provide insight into the ADHD/nature link."
For Geczi, just seeing the transformation children in these programs undergo in the first few days is staggering. "At our conferences we have a day of field trips to local model programs, so we try as a staff to get out and for educators to learn from visiting each other's programs," he said. "And it's amazing: how the kids after just a few days in a program like this, just become so alive and so… collaborative in terms of helping each other out, crossing over a log, or building a fort... or noticing the deer. On a personal level, I was very impressed to see how they kind of use their senses and come alive and collaborate with one another."
A post shared by Wind Ridge Schoolhouse (@windridgeschoolhouse)
In a 'free school' setting, students have a say in what they learn.
Nature preschools support a "free school" philosophy, where students drive the lesson plans.
"One common thread is an emergence type of philosophy to this education," Geczi said. "The focus of the day is often driven by what the children are curious about; perhaps what they found during their time outside, and the educators bring that topic back into the classroom and use books or drawings or other educational tools and approaches to further inquiry into that same topic. Maybe they found a nest that was blown by the wind, or a tree trunk that was split open in a thunderstorm. Whatever piques the students' interest will drive the learning by the educator."
An added benefit of this sort of education is appealing to students who learn differently and have varied strengths.
"I believe that nature preschool can benefit children with a wide range of skills, dispositions and learning styles, because both the being in nature and the play focus are developmentally appropriate and the usual practice is to allow the child considerable power to influence the learning," Jordan said. "For children who have a harder time controlling behaviors [such as] talking 'too much' or 'too loudly,' or needing to move, and therefore tend to seem disruptive in the indoor classroom, learning outdoors can fundamentally change their educational pathway and identity as a student. The expectations are different indoors and outdoors. The child who needs to move, needs to talk, needs to be social, is in their element outdoors. And because these behaviors are not seen as disruptive—in fact, they could be encouraged in outdoor learning—this child can have a very positive educational experience that sets them up for success in later grades.
Testing the forest kitchen with a pot of pinecone soup. #campgirl #camplife #puremichigan #outdoorplay #nature #vitaminn #naturelovers #finallyspring #wholeschooling #homeschooling #charlottemasonpreschool #waldorf #waldorfish #waldorfinspired #reggioemilia #reggioinspired #unschooling #theoutdoors #naturebasededucation #naturepreschool #raisingawildchild #raisinganaturelover #letthembelittle #charlottemason #minimalisthomeschooling #freetobelittle #babynaturalist #getoutside #homeschoolingmama #lifelonglearners
A post shared by Carol (@wholeschooling_mama) on Jun 2, 2018 at 11:27am PDT
"Contrast that with the poor self-esteem and negative attitudes about school and learning that can develop when a child is constantly being redirected by the teacher, isn't feeling accepted or understood, and isn't able to function to their potential in the classroom setting."
More research is necessary, of course. But the potential for nature-based learning is hard to ignore—and hard to limit to just early childhood education.
"We are actually embarking this year on a survey of teacher preparation programs in higher education that have a nature-based approach," Geczi said. "We are trying to understand what colleges and what universities are training teachers in nature-based competency and education… to us that is one of the steps toward potentially a national type of certification or accreditation."
And, hopefully, a future where every student has the chance to learn by tactile immersion in the place we're all ultimately designed to be.


surat qaf. Recitation of Surat Qaf by Sheikh Mashary Bin Rashed Al-Afasy. تلاوة خاشعة للشيخ مشاري بن راشد العفاسي من سورة ق.
: Recitation of Surat Qaf by Sheikh Mashary Bin Rashed Al-Afasy. Recitation of Surat Qaf by Sheikh Mashary Bin Rashed Al-Afasy. تلاوة خاشعة للشيخ مشاري بن راشد العفاسي من سورة ق, Category: Islam Religion سورة ق الإسلام . Created: 2009-12-26 23:11:21 , Updated: 2009-12-29 10:44:26 , Brought to you by: Samar Games ***** Please, Wait for downloading the game - File size is 1.09 MB - Takes 1.8 Minutes .
Recitation of Surat Qaf by Sheikh Mashary Bin Rashed Al-Afasy.


All about Carmel Valley including Restaurants, Lodging, Wineries, Shopping, Recreation.
Interested in purchasing a home in Carmel Valley?
There are so many beautiful areas in Carmel Valley from tops of hills that look over the valley to the ocean, homes tucked away amongst the many vineyards, and those that are close to Carmel Valley Village or Mid Valley for easy shopping and restaurants, some of the finest on the Monterey Peninsula. There are horse riding trails, biking lanes, and hiking opportunities. Resorts have memberships for residents who are interested in golf and tennis.
Want to find out what homes are for sale in Carmel Valley, just click on the icon below which will take you to the Multiple listing Service (MLS) that has all the properties for sale in Carmel Valley and surrounding area.
First, make sure you put in "Carmel Valley" when you start searching, then "Residential", and then just "enter". SCROLL DOWN, and that will show up EVERYTHING for sale in Carmel Valley.
CALL ME, Hella Rothwell at 831-626-4000 and I will set up a showing.
What do I tell visitors to Carmel Valley when they call me?
I get so many calls from people who plan to come to Carmel Valley for a visit, or those who want to purchase a home and stay. Most recently, a couple were on their way here from Southern California, who had reserved a room in Carmel-by-the-Sea and wanted to know if Uber would take them to Carmel Village. I guess they wanted to leave their car at the hotel. That was a new one on me! Anyone know the answer?
This is the website I produced for my clients and everyone else who is interested in coming here. It's packed full of information but, I guess, there is always something new. In fact, I plan to put some more maps up so people can plan their stroll around the village. Nothing is very far from each other and it's certainly easier than trying to find parking spots, especially on weekends.
Two relatively new Wine Tasting Rooms & a delightful Restaurant.
Here's a further list of what I found new in Carmel Valley Village.


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